An aging population is currently highlighting the considerable limitations of the medical industry. According to the Mayo Clinic, treatments are increasingly unable to keep pace with the needs of patients, with clinicians only having access to medications or devices that can manage symptoms. However, advances in developmental and cell biology, immunology and related fields have unlocked huge potential for the industry, and regenerative medicine looks to be the game-changing solution.
Despite its promise, regenerative medicine faces significant hurdles moving forward. In particular, immune rejection of transplanted cells has severely limited the huge potential of stem cell therapy. International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO), through its powerful new stem cell technology, could be on the cusp of overcoming these limitations, opening the door for major advances in the medical market.
Parthenogenesis, ISCO’s proprietary stem cell development process, has allowed the company to develop a new class of stem cells, known as human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs), which possess the most favorable characteristics of the existing classes. Through this technique, ISCO is able to create cells that are exactly matched or histocompatible with large segments of the human population, limiting the risk of immune rejection during treatment.
ISCO has made noteworthy strides towards the commercialization of its cell therapy treatment this year, capturing the attention of industry experts around the globe.
“In the first quarter of 2015 we completed all the necessary preclinical studies of our Parkinson’s program and formally submitted our application to begin the first clinical study of this novel approach to treating this debilitating disease in humans,” stated Andrey Semechkin, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of ISCO.
Highlights from the company’s business activity thus far in 2015 include the completion of preclinical studies and submission of an application to begin human trials in Australia, completion of manufacture of a bank of 2.6 billion human cells for use in clinical trials and the approval of a Japanese patent covering parthenogenetic methods of stem cell creation, meaning ISCO now has patent protection in all three major world markets (US, EU and Japan).
“We continue to expect to make significant progress during the rest of 2015 towards our goal of providing a viable treatment option for people with Parkinson’s disease,” continued Semechkin.
According to Florida Hospital, Parkinson’s disease affects up to one million people in the United States, with doctors diagnosing as many as 60,000 new cases each year. Upon completion of clinical trials, the potential market for ISCO’s parthenogenetic cell creation is effectively limitless. As the company continues towards marketization for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, look for substantial opportunities for growth within the medical industry in the years to come.
For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com
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